Matthew Chapter 1-1

Order is odd. David first, then Abraham. Both key figures in prophetic and faith history. David - the man after God’s heart, the establisher of the kingdom of Israel. Prophetic psalmist. Abraham - father of faith and the faithful. Lead character in the lineage of prophetic destiny of God’s people and of those who live by faith.

Both mentioned by Paul in Romans 4. Both are mentioned in the context of righteousness being reckoned to a person apart from their works; having their sins forgiven by grace through faith and not on the basis of circumcision or works of law.

Odd that Matthew’s first revelation of Jesus is not, “Christ” or “Messiah” or “Son of God.” The implication is the same, though, as both Abraham and David were representative of the the lineage of the promised Messiah. Matthew goes to some length to prove that Jesus is descended from both.

Abraham was to be the father from whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 22:18) and David was to be the father of a son whose kingdom would be eternal (2 Sam. 7:12; Psalm 89:3, 132:11, etc.). One is the seed of faith, of the blessing of reconciliation to become once again friends of God (Abraham - James 2:23). The other is the ruler who would father a kingly line that would come to rule, breaking the curse and power of Satan’s kingdom and establishing a righteous and eternal throne, once again establishing God’s rule on the earth. Notice David is qualified in 1:6 as “the king.”